On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 75

The leadoff hitter, Jung Byeong-seon, struck out.

The fans shouted as if they had been waiting for this.

“Hey, you moron! Can’t you even hit a fastball down the middle?”

“If you can’t play baseball, learn a trade!”

“Disband the Goats! Disband them!”

The harsh jeers echoed all the way to the bench.

The players on the bench didn’t dare to joke and held their breaths.

When the second hitter, Seol Jin-il, flew out on the first pitch, the criticism and mockery grew louder.

“Disband them! Disband them! Disband them! Disband them!”

The players frowned.

“Why did they even come if they’re just going to curse?”

“And why are they so loud? My eardrums are going to burst.”

“Why are they acting like this when it’s not even our fault?”

Amid the players’ grumbling, Song Seok-hyun grabbed his bat and stepped into the on-deck circle.

The Phoenix’s pitcher was the foreign player, Anthony Shane.

Song Seok-hyun couldn’t hear the fans’ criticism and jeers.

No, he couldn’t hear anything at all. He was in the zone.

Song Seok-hyun trusted his body to the pitcher’s rhythm and swung his bat.

“Ugh, I should just quit being a fan. How can they use such an unknown as the cleanup hitter?”

“How short of players are they that they use a rookie catcher from high school as the cleanup hitter?”

“They’re always bringing in free agents because they don’t have enough players. This team is hopeless. No hope at all. How come they can’t develop a single player properly?”

“Look at Kim In-hwan, Kim In-hwan. He’s too scared to even swing the bat.”

“Kim In-hwan is just a scarecrow unless he’s swinging at air. He has no eye for the ball. He either swings or doesn’t. Ha! It’s frustrating. Ugh! It’s frustrating!”

Kim In-hwan walked to first base after drawing a walk.

Song Seok-hyun, wielding his bat that was an inch longer than others, stepped into the batter’s box.

As Song Seok-hyun stepped into the batter’s box, he thought to himself.

Pitcher Anthony Shane.

A finesse pitcher with a fastball of 142 km/h [approximately 88 mph].

A starting pitcher with a good curveball and splitter.

Catcher Kim Chang-hyun.

A catcher who likes aggressive and unconventional pitch combinations.

What will the battery [pitcher and catcher] choose for the first pitch?

After contemplating, Song Seok-hyun took a deep breath.

Whoosh.

The pitcher threw the ball.

Song Seok-hyun cocked his bat and watched the pitcher’s release point.

Rising Star (1)

Anthony Shane has three types of pitches.

Fastball, curveball, and splitter.

Phoenix’s catcher, Kim Chang-hyun, chose a curveball for the first pitch after seeing Song Seok-hyun’s batting stance.

Generally, the wider the stride, the stronger the batter is against low pitches and the more upper swings they have.

Song Seok-hyun’s batting stance has a narrower stride than other batters.

That can be interpreted as him being weak against low pitches.

Thwack!

Anthony Shane’s hand came forward.

The ball floated slightly upward.

A common phenomenon when throwing a 12-6 curveball [a curveball that drops sharply downwards].

Song Seok-hyun swung his bat.

Bang!

“Left field fence! Left field fence! Left field fence! It’s over! A two-run home run that clears the stadium! Song Seok-hyun! He turns yesterday’s foul ball that went out of the stadium into a home run that goes out of the stadium today!”

“That was a home run as soon as it was hit. The distance is tremendous! Even if we’re being conservative, it’s at least 135 meters [approximately 443 feet].”

“Song Seok-hyun hits Anthony Shane’s curveball with perfect timing! He must have been aiming for that perfectly.”

“That’s right. It wasn’t the kind of timing where he was thinking about a fastball and then hit a curveball. He must have been definitely aiming for the curveball from the first pitch.”

“Song Seok-hyun refreshes the chaotic atmosphere of the Goats in one swing! He proves that snatching the cleanup hitter [the fourth batter in the lineup, typically a strong hitter] position from Hercules Kim In-hwan was not just luck or chance.”

“The Goats fans are cheering now too. Ah, they must feel good. It’s a refreshing home run.”

“Run, Goats! Run, Goats! Whoa whoa whoa whoa!”

“There’s no place we can’t go. Even if everyone says it’s difficult, we’ll step on it and climb up. You can only look up at us. In the end, we’re the ones who will stand at the top.”

A home run over the left field fence.

The fans who were holding banners and cursing just a minute ago and the small number of enthusiastic fans suddenly gathered and sang the team’s song in unison.

“The masters of autumn, the masters of Jamsil [a famous baseball stadium in Seoul], the Goats, the Goats!”

“Song Seok-hyun! Song Seok-hyun! Song Seok-hyun! Song Seok-hyun!”

Booo booo booo~!

“Cleanup hitter Song Seok-hyun! Cleanup hitter Song Seok-hyun!”

Anthony Shane pressed his lips tightly together.

Song Seok-hyun stepped on second base and ran to third.

The fans in the third base cheering section screamed when they saw Song Seok-hyun.

“Homerun hitter Song Seok-hyun!”

“Milky-skinned Song Seok-hyun!”

Only then did Song Seok-hyun hear the cheering.

The first thing he heard was “milky-skinned,” which made him laugh.

“Congratulations. You should harvest your first home run ball today, right?”

Kim In-hwan waited at home plate with his hand raised.

Song Seok-hyun high-fived Kim In-hwan.

“It’s all thanks to you, hyung [older brother or close male friend].”

“Am I your ancestor? You hit well, what did I do?”

“I figured they wouldn’t throw you a curveball, so they would definitely throw me a curveball.”

“Is that so?”

“They threw curveballs to the previous two hitters, but if they didn’t throw one to you, that means they were saving it.”

Kim In-hwan chuckled as he watched Song Seok-hyun walk ahead.

“Do you even think about things like that?”

On the bench, they applauded Song Seok-hyun’s first home run.

Manager Ham Seong-hoon was the first to bump fists with Song Seok-hyun.

“Good job.”

“Thank you.”

The players celebrated his first home run by hitting Song Seok-hyun’s helmeted head.

“It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!”

* * *

Anthony Shane gave up 2 points in the first inning, but he got the next hitter out with a ground ball and ended the inning.

The Goats’ starting pitcher was Jeon Sang-heum, one of the Goats’ five starting pitchers. The Goats had marked him as a starter early on, resolved his military service issue, and brought him back this year.

A match between a foreign pitcher and a candidate for the fifth starter.

The weight of the starters was different from the first inning.

“Ah, Jeon Sang-heum. Another walk.”

“Consecutive walks after getting the first hitter out with a ground ball. If this happens, Kyung Soo-in will come up with runners on first and second with no outs.”

“Jeon Sang-heum, the starting position is not always guaranteed. You have to seize the opportunity when it comes. If this happens, no one knows when the next opportunity will come.”

Kyung Soo-in stepped into the batter’s box.

A batter who spreads his stride wide and hits with no step.

As far as eye for the ball and contact, no one in the eight teams could surpass Kyung Soo-in.

“Haa, haa, haa.”

The pitcher was already sweating.

Catcher Park Shin-eon called a timeout and went to the mound.

Song Seok-hyun stared at Jeon Sang-heum with a serious expression.

“Park Shin-eon seems to have had a short conversation, but what did they talk about?”

“Well, usually they tell you to throw confidently in this situation, but the batter happens to be Kyung Soo-in. Even if you want to throw confidently, will it work out the way you want it to?”

“Jeon Sang-heum’s expression is serious. He seems too nervous.”

Battery coach [coach specializing in pitchers and catchers] Kim Tae-woo approached Song Seok-hyun and said quietly.

“What would you say if you went up there?”

“Me?”

“Yes, what would you say?”

Song Seok-hyun looked at Jeon Sang-heum, who was still frozen.

“I think I’d tell him to throw an inside high fastball.”

“Huh?”

The battery coach chuckled.

“No, not the pitch selection. How would you comfort the pitcher?”

“I don’t think comforting him will do any good. I think it’s better to tell him what to throw next, so at least he has something in his head.”

“Are you really going to do that?”

“If it were me… yes. I was a pitcher too, but talking to the catcher is meaningless other than buying time to catch your breath. Right now, the pitcher is thinking too much, so it’s better to leave just one thing in his head.”

The battery coach nodded slightly.

“But why an inside high ball?”

“Because his balance isn’t good, so a curveball or changeup is likely to become a wild pitch or a mistake, and if he throws a fastball into the zone, the batter will naturally be waiting for the fastball. The best thing to do is throw an outside low fastball, but he can’t control it right now, so an inside fastball is better.”

“What if he hits a hit-by-pitch and it’s a full base?”

“With that level of control, it’s dangerous no matter where he throws it. It’s better to throw an inside high ball because even if it’s close, the batter won’t hit it or can’t hit it. In the worst case, even if he hits a hit-by-pitch, if the runner on first base is Kyung Soo-in, it’s easier to aim for a double play because he’s slow.”

“So that’s what you think…”

In the meantime, Jeon Sang-heum threw two consecutive fastballs outside and gave up two balls.

The third pitch was an inside low fastball.

It was 2B-1S [two balls, one strike].

“It’s still a favorable situation for the batter. Kyung Soo-in will try to push the ball to the right field without being too greedy.”

“The pitcher’s best bet is to induce a double play with an outside breaking ball or an inside fastball.”

The fourth pitch was also an inside low fastball.

It was a bit too centered, but Kyung Soo-in watched it go by.

“Kyung Soo-in is calm. He’s watching the pitches that could lead to a double play.”

“He’s not going to swing at bad pitches before the count gets too high. He’s a veteran player, really.”

Song Seok-hyun looked at Kyung Soo-in and thought about what to call for the fifth pitch.

All four pitches were fastballs.

In terms of timing, a slow pitch should come out.

It would be good if he got fooled, and even if he didn’t swing, it’s a full count, so he can compete one more time.

If it were Song Seok-hyun, he would surprise the batter with a high fastball here.

All four pitches were low fastballs, so it’s not a bad choice.

But usually, other catchers would definitely bring out a breaking ball.

Especially Park Shin-eon, who is a veteran catcher.

-Strike! Out!

“Kyung Soo-in! Standing strikeout!”

“The course was really amazing. Kyung Soo-in was caught off guard!”

“Jeon Sang-heum overcomes the crisis with a 147km/h fastball [approximately 91 mph]. He takes a breather by striking out the most difficult Kyung Soo-in.”

Park Shin-eon’s choice was a high fastball.

The bench was also buzzing, and Song Seok-hyun was surprised.

A high fastball from a rookie pitcher who can’t control his pitches against the national team’s fourth hitter.

Kyung Soo-in, who knew Park Shin-eon’s tendencies, also tilted his head and left the batter’s box.

“Sunbaenim [senior player]… tsk.”

They say three brilliant moves lead to certain defeat.

He overcame the big mountain called Kyung Soo-in, but a pitcher who can’t control his pitches will eventually have to throw the ball into the zone after throwing too many balls.

Jeon Sang-heum gave up 4 points in the first inning alone.

Song Seok-hyun’s 2-point home run faded.

“The Phoenix seems to have come out with a knife today. They’re pouring out a fierce attack from the first inning.”

“Rookie Song Seok-hyun seemed to be making it an easy game by giving up 2 points, but instead, they’re starting the game 2 points behind. It’s a shame to see this.”

“What’s a shame?”

“Look at the Goats’ starting pitchers. Except for the two foreign pitchers, Lee Chang-hoon and Han Min-seok are the third and fourth starters, and both players are free agent pitchers. That means the Goats don’t have a starting pitcher they’ve developed within the four starters. Jeon Sang-heum is still young, but if you look at the other five starting candidates, there are Jo Jae-jin and Jo Seok-joo, but Jo Jae-jin is already twenty-seven and Jo Seok-joo is a player they brought in through a trade.”

“You’re saying that starting pitchers are important, but the Goats aren’t developing them at all. Why did that happen? Is it because they couldn’t draft good pitchers?”

“No. They definitely drafted good pitchers. But impatience is the problem. They turn them into bullpen pitchers as soon as they do well, so they’re always short of starting pitchers. Starting pitchers need to be developed for at least 3 years, or even 5 years, to be able to rotate.”

“Isn’t 3 years, 5 years too long?”

“You have to subtract 2 years of military service from there. Then the club only has 1-3 years to take care of them. At least during this time, they have to take starting classes in the minor leagues and gain experience by playing long relief or as a fifth starter in the major leagues. In the end, baseball is a starting pitcher’s game. If the starting pitching is weak, no matter how strong the bullpen is, it can’t last long. The Goats were said to have a strong bullpen, but because the starting pitching was weak, the bullpen was overloaded, and now even that bullpen has weakened, hasn’t it?”

“It’s a vicious cycle.”

“In the end, it’s the batting lineup. The Goats have to make up for the lack of the mound with the batting lineup.”

“But with Choi Dae-gyu, Kang Moon-gyu, and Lee Nak-gyun missing, the power of the batting lineup has also weakened.”

“It’ll be tough, but Kim In-hwan and Song Seok-hyun have to help. It’ll be hard for the two players to be better than the existing players’ production, but if they can’t make up for it here, it’ll be hard for the Goats to move up.”

-Out!

-Out!

Anthony Shane didn’t have a strong fastball, but his control and breaking balls were excellent.

The Goats’ lower batting order was caught in Anthony’s pitching and went out with ground balls.

Shortstop Jung Young-soo shook his head as he returned to the bench after being out.

“I got caught. His pitches are dirty, aren’t they?”

“That’s why I told you to hold the bat short and push it.”

“How much shorter should I hold it here?”

“Then hand over the shortstop position to me. Can’t you hit those garbage balls?”

“Are you better at defense than me, hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

Jung Young-soo and Jung Baek-seon bickered with each other.

Manager Ham Seong-hoon called the hitting coach.

“It seems like it’s better to see a lot of pitches today. It’s okay to leave runners on base, so let’s focus the opportunities in front of the core batting lineup.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll pass it on.”

If the mound is weak, at least the batting lineup should be strong, but right now the Goats’ bats are also withering.

Ham Seong-hoon glanced at Kim In-hwan.

Song Seok-hyun took the cleanup hitter position earlier than expected, but there’s still no news from Kim In-hwan.

Since a rookie hitter is in the cleanup spot, the opposing team will naturally walk Kim In-hwan and try to get a double play against Song Seok-hyun.

The result was Song Seok-hyun’s great performance.